After the interim order is given or not, the case will go to a full hearing. Germany has filed a declaration with the World Court to intervene in this hearing in support of Israel.
Why is Namibia furious at Germany's ICJ intervention supporting Israel?
Aljazeera host of "Counting The Cost" Adrian Finighan
@1:33 minutes
"….in 2021 Berlin acknowledged committing genocide in Namibia"
"..shouldn't a country responsible for two genocides be actively looking to prevent a third?"
@4:35 minutes
"Absolutely Adrian I cannot agree more with you….
…..particularly problematic is the way that they framed South Africa's complaint as an instrumentalization of the international court of justice. Which means basically it [Germany] thinks it's an illegitimate suit, it's something that should not happen.
After all we've heard during the pleadings in the past days last week. That is quite a strong statement. Therefore, I'm absolutely not surprised by the reaction on the on the side of Namibia…."
Namibia has requested that Germany withdraw their intervention in support of Israel at the World Court. Personally speaking, I would have thought that Germany would be the last country that would be trying to stop a court looking into a case of alleged genocide.
The people of Namibia suffered a genocide at the hands of the German colonial empire. Germany has admitted to it.
Germany has zero right to be supporting the slaughter of another indigenous people, at the hand of another occupying colonial power.
32 states intervened in the case of Ukraine vs. Russia, to argue the merits of Ukraine's case against Russia alleging Ukraine committed genocide in the Donbas.
But only one state, Germany, has put its name down to intervene in support of Israel at the United Nations International Court of Justice, the ICJ, also known as the World Court. Not even the US, Israel's biggest backer, has put up their hand to support Israel in the World Court.
Why is that?
The state of Israel was founded after WWII with the connivance of the US who were trying to form a counterweight to the power and influence of the British Empire in the Middle East.
At the end of the war, displaced Jewish refugees favoured destination of choice was America. As well as making it hard for displaced persons to enter the US. The US authorities gave Zionists access to the displaced persons camps in the US zone of control in Europe to gather recruits to go to Palestine. The British imperialists tried to resist the founding of the state of Israel and interned the Jewish refugees that the US had incited to go to Israel on the island of Cypress.
The Zionists have always been a proxy force for American imperialism in the Middle East.
The last gasp of the British Empire in the Middle East, was the Suez Crisis. After that the US became the dominant Western imperialist power in the region. Israel became US imperialism's unsinkable aircraft carrier threatening any Arab country that dared step out of line.
While the victorious super powers were squabbling over the spoils of war, what about the defeated imperialist powers Germany, Italy, Japan? They became junior partners to the new global hegemon.
When you can't do dirty work yourself you get someone else to do it.
Both Germany and Japan have been called on to put pressure on the World Court to to make sure their judges on the ICJ vote the way the US wants.
Shame on those countries that have chosen to do it.
Footnote:
If anyone thinks I am picking on Germany and Germans, I am not. Every capitalist country wants to expand its influence, every capitalist country aspires to be an imperialist, or junior imperialist, even lil'ol New Zealand.
Growth expansion imperialism, colonialism is written into the DNA of capitalism, every imperialist country commits massacres and genocides to maintain their rule.
Historic guilt of empire is irrelevant to this, as is the status of Jews as a past victim of empire themselves (Christian, Moslem and German). This is now. Post 1945 and the UN of member states and related international law.
Whether Palestinians (Arabic language and cultural order came with Islam after 600CE – before then most locals were Christians) are indigenous or Jews is irrelevant (they each have similar DNA northern Semite) and both are Semitic cultures.
Everyone knows the case of genocide will not succeed and is merely an attempt to get a interim order for a cease-fire.
This is not even a case of ethnic cleansing (the case of this in WB is far stronger).
There is a case for war crimes, and to prevent further loss of civilian life, this is a device to realise a cease-fire.
And given Russia ignored an interim order of this court (and others before them), as per Ukraine, if Israel does so will depend on other factors (guess why USA is not involved).
How very arrogant of you. It is plain that "everyone" does not agree. Have you even bothered to look at the heros welcome when the ICJ team arrived back in SA? There is historically huge support between SA and Palestinians.
I've no idea what you're talking about. Its a reference to your support of Maersk profits against Palestinian lives. I would add that obviously, the relationship is an inverse one.
They pass on costs to those who use their ships to transport goods to market, and they to consumers.
As for the impact of that inflation, a lot would be even higher cost for fertilizer and food out of south east Europe to Asia and maybe electronics and EV's between Asia and Europe.
Look SPC, I can be a bit dim but a light just illuminated in my head that said for you to be upset at a comment directed at yourself with the phrase "people like you" , and call me antisemitic, you may be an Israeli. If this is the case, I unreservedly apologise and regardless, will only address your comments in future.
[Stop playing the man. This is your warning – Incognito]
Once upon a time, if you criticised American policy you were called anti-American, a fellow traveller with the commie left or this century terrorists (and probably still). Some of us were visited by local police as suspects in the "threat" to the visiting golfer Tiger Woods most likely because some CIA agent thought manipulating them to act that way was both funny and a way to get our public opinion and government onto their Iraq regime change play.
Once upon a time, if you supported a two state solution that made one a Zionist or an anti-Zionist depending on who responded (and probably still). And that could mean all sorts of stuff to them and all sorts of language gets used, because all those Zionists or anti-Zionists are * and or **.
I was just wondering what "your own inflation adjusted values of life" was about, as it did not seem to make any sense. If I think something is anti-semitic I will say so.
‘ SPC @1.1 "Everyone knows the case of genocide will not succeed and is merely an attempt to get a interim order for a cease-fire."
Nobody knows. But if I were to guess, I would guess that it would be the other way round. The interim order for a ceasefire in Gaza will fail. The charge of genocide will be proved.
My guess is based on 'Realpolitik', especially as it is practiced in international affaires.
My guess based on realpolitik, is South Africa's attempt to get an interim order for a cease-fire in Gaza will fail. The political pressure from the US and its allied states on the judges of the ICJ will is too great.
Many years from now, the allegation of genocide will eventually be proven. The 84 page mountain of evidence of genocidal acts and statements of intent to commit genocide contained in the Brief by South Africa is damning, I am certain that even more damning evidence will be revealed with the passing of time.
Even the current available evidence is overwhelming, but by the time a final judgment is made, it will all be academic, and too late to make a difference.
Realpolitik:
Is the International Court of Justice Biased?
Abstract
…..We test the charge of bias using statistical methods. We find strong evidence that (1) judges favor the states that appoint them….
Only MMP would allow anywhere power a party of lying nincompoops with such a frankly partisan, grubby agenda to try and create a voting base out of bad policy.
It's interesting to consider though whether NZ would be struggling to find competent Ministers and MPs at this point in time if it was still under FPP.
Under FPP – as the result of the 2023 election you would have an overwhelming National Party government (having won a substantial majority of the electorates) – possibly in coalition with the 2 ACT MPs – but with no NZF representation. You'd have a few GP electorate MPs and the 5 TPM ones – in opposition, along with a pretty tiny Labour Party.
While there would be no NZF representation – you would have a centre-right government which would regard itself as having an overwhelming mandate (since they would hold well over 2/3 of the seats).
Characterizing MMP as a failure because it hasn't (on this occasion) given you the government you wanted – is pretty short-sighted.
I don't feel that the record of the last year inclines me to believe in the competence of the Labour Ministers in the previous government.
Any new government, coming in after a spell in opposition, is going to consist of predominantly inexperienced MPs.
The Conservative Party has a big majority under FPP – soon to be history, the majority, not FPP – and yet small radical splitter groups (some can be considered "lunatic") appear to drive policies:
ERG (European Research Group)
Common Sense Group
The New Conservatives
No Turning Back
…
I can't see much of a difference to MMP coalition(s).
"Especially because the absolute worst part of the past three months has been how common it’s become to casually slag off Māori. There’s a noticeable swell in hate, division, racism, crazy talk and an all round sulphuric nastiness"
It is disgusting how manipulative the players in parliament have become. We have a elected government and the crowd that screams the loudest or plays games like in high school seems to propose to do away with democracy. All the hallmarks are there of a toppling of the legal government. No willingness to uphold the other side of the constitution. Show your colors and don't hide behind insults. The ones slagging off anybody are hailed as doing the right thing, go figure. Give those who are caught in the middle a chance to rearrange their affairs and move to a safer country.
I guess so, which is why there’s a handy Reply button for convenient nesting/threading of comment threads. If there are technical issues then it would be good to let Lprent know about it.
It's staining the world of science and education as well;
"Do I need to emphasize once again that there are no “indigenous ways of knowing” beyond the ways that modern science “knows” things. To be frank, indigenous “ways of knowing” are inferior to modern science, which has a whole armamentarium for determining what counts as “knowledge” (experimentation, controls, replication, hypothesis-testing, pervasive doubt, and so on). In contrast, indigenous ways of knowing invariably come down to simple observation of natural phenomena or assertions (say, about the efficacy of plants as medicines) that aren’t tested using blind studies. And without verification and replication and testing, you don’t have knowledge; you have claims."
my eyes glazed over as soon as I saw the words 'Jerry Coyne'. A rationalist who exhibits irrational behaviour each time he opens his keyboard on anything to do with indigenous knowledge.
There’s no such thing as “crystalline armour of science-thinking”, as it would imply that it is pure, hard & sharp, and symmetrical, and some kind of protection or defence [against what?].
Science that isn’t shared with people and that has no impact on people and society is less than a tree in a Zen forest. This sharing and influencing, not just in terms of ‘pure’ thinking but also in knowledge transfer and technological advancement is a bi-directional & mutual and dynamic process.
That’s futile because the Dark Arts are inside the science fortress as much as they’re on the outside. Rationalism in isolation is an exercise in futility. Rationalism as a ‘great purifier’ of science and mankind is a mug’s game.
n contrast, indigenous ways of knowing invariably come down to simple observation of natural phenomena or assertions (say, about the efficacy of plants as medicines) that aren’t tested using blind studies. And without verification and replication and testing, you don’t have knowledge; you have claims."
Any halfwit who has gardened for a length of time knows how to test whether something works or not. The man needs to get out more.
Two peoples in one land, should we send David Seymour to re-write the principles of he state of Israel, the PA and the Oslo Accord peace process?
Let our first nation to see each days dawn enlighten them, or not make it any worse here or there?
Mr Barak is alarmed Israel is “losing legitimacy” and clearly worried for the next generation. “Statesmanship is missing. There is a vacuum in the overall running of the war,” he says. “We need to do something about it because time is running out. There are two clocks ticking at a different pace. The clock of legitimacy is ticking very fast; the clock of achieving the objective is ticking very slow. It is the basic role of the senior command to make sure these two clocks become synchronised.”
"The government has confirmed a document about the government's proposed Treaty Principles bill is a leaked draft memo from the Ministry of Justice"
The screenshot showed commentary from the report's author saying they expected the Bill would be "highly contentious".
..a full copy of the leaked report, which it said warned the proposal's key points were "at odds with what the Treaty of Waitangi actually says".
Now by what I see is that, whoever was the "author" – no one seem to name the person – is not really authorized.
However, what concerns me most is that, the public service is to stay neutral as they are employed to do the job no matter who is in government and hence have to stir away from any bias. This is difficult – true, but a pre requisite to make sure that corruption does not have an entry door.
How is making the media and thus the public being aware of something any form of corruption – more likely to be otherwise.
Many suspect that the leak was to aid the major party in the new government, give it more reason to dampen down expectation of its supporting a second reading (and embolden NZF to say they would not do so).
I really have no interest as to the motivation of the person but rather the institution of government and its employees obligation to adhere to protocol and impartiality. The country needs to be able to rely on its government for stability, economically and defence. Undermining it is actually treason.
"Public sector chief executives and board chairs are responsible for the integrity and conduct of their agencies and maintaining the agency’s political neutrality. This includes during the election period"
This would be speculation as the document was a draft held at the ministry of justice (no less!) and no reading has taken place as far as reported to date. On those grounds the person had an agenda and hence should be dismissed – ungracefully.
Equally, it is a duty of any party/govt employee to make sure that such leaked document is not a spurious placed for publication intended to fan emotions in the current environment.
It is in essence inciting perceptions that can lead to violence. One should not forget that, not all people approach this issue with an academic mind and zest of evidence based discussion. In that sense it is a treasonous act to incite willingly and knowingly discontent.
The sad part is that, if the Maori Party has taken this aboard and now "wants to held a government to account" and call a rightfully elected government "white supremacist". This is adding fuel to this without actually checking facts. On that basis their integrity and adherence to parliamentary protocol is questionable.
What is the basis of your assertion that the TPM "integrity and adherence to parliamentary protocol is questionable"?
In that sense it is a treasonous act to incite willingly and knowingly discontent.
No, it is not an act of treason to incite discontent (not under any democratic government).
That would lead to censorship of media and as someone once said he would rather have no elections, than no independent media.
Equally, it is a duty of any party/govt employee to make sure that such leaked document is not a spurious placed for publication intended to fan emotions in the current environment.
It is the objective of the Americans to block whistleblowing, and of all governments into covering up stuff to keep the public ignorant, passive and compliant.
….A children’s clothes seller from Gaza standing unarmed among a group of Palestinian men holding a white flag, was shot dead minutes after speaking to an ITV cameraman.
A report aired by the British public service broadcaster showed the events unfolding as the group of five Palestinian men tried to reach family members stranded in a house inside and active combat zone….
Minutes before being shot dead, the middle-aged, English-speaking Palestinian man told ITV: “Nowhere is safe in Gaza. Everywhere you find the Israeli Army. They shoot at us at home, in any building and in the street….
With an Israeli imposed telecommunications blackout over most of Gaza, footage like this is rare. But it would seem to confirm many Palestinian accounts that unarmed civilians in Gaza are being killed in what the IDF call "field executions".
South Africa has alleged in the World Court that Israel is committing atrocities and war crimes in Gaza amounting to genocide. As more and more evidence like the above comes out, linked to the genocidal statements by Israeli lawmakers and military leaders, it seems almost inevitable that this Friday, the ICJ will announce their order on Israel to stop their assault on Gaza.
The great "Kumera of the North" Shane Jones says "we should not be afraid of discussing the Treaty Principles". in his speech at Ratana.
It is not discussion we are afraid of, it is "Bad Actors" who come with an agenda to undermine belittle and divide, to get control of Maori treasures, water medicines and minerals.
I understand medicines, minerals but water is not a possession but a right of any and all people to have available. You can survive 3 days without food, but you die after 3 days without water. Fact.
I see that there is no objection to large Corps pumping millions of gallons of drinking water to sell overseas or filling those floating cities called Cruise ships with tones of drinking water. For money of cause! 🙄
The majority of New Zealand’s bottled water is drawn from Blue Spring in Putaruru , where Coca-Cola Amatil has a bottling factory.
The spring is world-renowned for its color and clarity, and is classified as a natural Taonga, or treasure.
Meanwhile, all of NZlands piping system has fallen in disrepair because of those "look at me, I want to be in the History books" projects and a failure of planning and charging proportionally. This despite the need to maintain the supply system being well known for decades.
So, water… if there is any sincerity by all parties concerned than the first issue is repairing pipes so that every person residing here has drinkable water. Followed by securing water sources into the future and not prioritising Large Corporations or interests that only have one benefactor.
Is not spring water a taonga or treasure claim of the iwi? There should a royalty. And their consent for any export.
Rivers are a taonga and treasure in relation to Maori customary activity dependent on water flow (fishing/eels etc). There is an issue here about water taken from the river that has an impact on this.
Rivers as a catchment that allows collection and storage (hydro, irrigation or water use dams) is a land asset of an iwi. It's not just rain that flows to the sea that has value to those in chieftainship of their land.
In the ECAN area water has been gathered for irrigation for use (dairying) in ways that pollute (nitrate) the underground aquifer.
I understand your argument but still do not agree to any "ownership" of drinking water. If this is the case the person/party holding ownership essentially own me or any person whose life depends on it. No way would I ever agree to that!
How about a foreign corporate owning water supply assets and charging you for it (as councils do now)?
I wonder if the Herald will do a look at the access of farmers to water, as per cost to ratepayers, industrial/business and farm users (and no cost to bottlers)?
The human right to water and sanitation. On 28 July 2010, through Resolution 64/292, the United Nations General Assembly explicitly recognized the human right to water and sanitation and acknowledged that clean drinking water and sanitation are essential to the realisation of all human rights.
The NZ Government has to apply the rules and laws. There is a difference between personal and commercial use. Farmers do need water to meet the second need to survival – food. Supermarkets on the other hand…..
Well, the health service across the country is very much in need of more staff and resources.
Some first hand experience:
Just recently, when my husband was admitted via ambulance to the ER with suspicion of a heart attack I was somewhat taken aback by the way the process works. Whilst the nurse did an ECG straight away, comparative troponin tests are needed to ascertain any wider issues. From the time we made the first call to the waiting of the vital lab result 8.5 hours passed – and it could have been my husband not just the hours. On asking how far that is away: Receptions response was to make a note for the nurse. We decided to go home in the early hours of the morning without having seen the lab report. I think this is a dangerous situation that we have no means to change in any shape or form.
Another patient was in pain and a person also being in the waiting room for hours explained that this chap has been waiting for 10 hours now – yes, in pain.
There were some 20 people waiting, most for almost the same time as we are.
By what I saw, there were 2 nurses and 1 doctor available. I saw 3 ambulances arrivingin that time we were there.
All those affected were pakeha and this, in my experience, shows that there is an issue across the board. Nothing to do with race.
it's in a dire state for sure. In some rural areas you can't even get A/E services.
Re ethnicity, the racism that might happen (I said might) would be if the system treated a Māori man differently from your husband. Maybe had to wait longer, maybe there were communication issues/barriers, maybe the staff had conscious or unconscious racism.
Another example that is also well known is when people turn up in A/E wanting pain relief and are suspected of being addicts. Or they are registered in the system as an addict and turn up in pain. A whole bunch of biases against them can kick in eg staff assume they're lying about the pain to get access to drugs.
I don't really understand why these are difficult things to talk about. I've been learning about cultural bias in healthcare since the 90s. I think things have improved, but there are still issues.
It's not going to take away anything from non-Māori to address these issues. And if the system does start taking away from non-Māori, then the solution isn't to take away from Māori again, it's to sort it out so it is done fairly and well.
My observation was not that anything is necessary based on race, it could be incidental. More to the point was the lack of staff. Those professionals who were there also had to look after those arriving by ambulance. This increased the waiting time exponentially. The chap in pain looked like to have something on his leg (broken?) but I am not a doctor.
It was a frightening experience for me as I wasn't sure how bad the situation is without those tests. I lost two of my closest relatives due to a heart attack and it was not really foreseeable.
thanks for clarifying. I agree it is frightening. Might be worth talking to your GP about it to see if there is anything else that could be done in that situation.
One thing for all of the socially conscious left to watch for in David Seymours' insidious plan is the pathway to the referendum question. He'll try to lock in the referendum before the question we are to be asked is proposed. Make no mistake, the plan to referendum and the question is already being formulated.
A bit like Jong Khee's flag debacle except more organised, more funded, and certainly more evil.
For so long, you identified as Libertarian. What changed?
I completely have not used the word Libertarian in describing myself since I got an email during lockdown where a person from a Libertarian organization wrote to me and said, “We’re doing an anti-mask demonstration in Vegas, and obviously we’d like you to head it.” I looked at that email and I went, “The fact they sent me this email is something I need to be very ashamed of, and I need to change.”
[…]
Many times when I identified as Libertarian, people said to me, “It’s just rich white guys that don’t want to be told what to do,” and I had a zillion answers to that — and now that seems 100 percent accurate.
"Insanity wasn’t in our genes — we humans had gone off the rails because our culture had lost its source of external significance. We were so completely colonized by the belief that all meaning came down to economics and private consumption that it no longer even felt like a belief. We’d forgotten the fact that, in Gaylor Nelson’s great phrase, “the economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment, and not the other way around.”"
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Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
The pair opened their first fully collaborative exhibition, Nina for Flowers, last Saturday. Gabi Lardies visited their studio to find out who Nina is and what working together was like.‘It didn’t start out like, ‘This is a show about Nina,’” says Josephine Jelicich, gripping a thermos of peppermint tea. ...
Thank you, Dr Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner, for your brilliant invention. I’m another mid-20s Kiwi who had an OE last year. I hopped on my bicycle where France meets the Atlantic and cycled east. I pedalled through the Loire Valley, down rivers lined with willows and ancient wisteria-draped chateaus. I relished ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
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News out of South Africa is that the ICJ will be releasing their ruling for an interim order on Israel to stop the war on Gaza.
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/south-africa-expects-icj-judgment-gaza-emergency-measures-friday-news24-cites-2024-01-24/
After the interim order is given or not, the case will go to a full hearing. Germany has filed a declaration with the World Court to intervene in this hearing in support of Israel.
Why is Namibia furious at Germany's ICJ intervention supporting Israel?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV0SVYrEAJg
Aljazeera host of "Counting The Cost" Adrian Finighan
@1:33 minutes
"….in 2021 Berlin acknowledged committing genocide in Namibia"
"..shouldn't a country responsible for two genocides be actively looking to prevent a third?"
@4:35 minutes
"Absolutely Adrian I cannot agree more with you….
…..particularly problematic is the way that they framed South Africa's complaint as an instrumentalization of the international court of justice. Which means basically it [Germany] thinks it's an illegitimate suit, it's something that should not happen.
After all we've heard during the pleadings in the past days last week. That is quite a strong statement. Therefore, I'm absolutely not surprised by the reaction on the on the side of Namibia…."
Namibia has requested that Germany withdraw their intervention in support of Israel at the World Court. Personally speaking, I would have thought that Germany would be the last country that would be trying to stop a court looking into a case of alleged genocide.
The people of Namibia suffered a genocide at the hands of the German colonial empire. Germany has admitted to it.
Germany has zero right to be supporting the slaughter of another indigenous people, at the hand of another occupying colonial power.
32 states intervened in the case of Ukraine vs. Russia, to argue the merits of Ukraine's case against Russia alleging Ukraine committed genocide in the Donbas.
But only one state, Germany, has put its name down to intervene in support of Israel at the United Nations International Court of Justice, the ICJ, also known as the World Court. Not even the US, Israel's biggest backer, has put up their hand to support Israel in the World Court.
Why is that?
The state of Israel was founded after WWII with the connivance of the US who were trying to form a counterweight to the power and influence of the British Empire in the Middle East.
At the end of the war, displaced Jewish refugees favoured destination of choice was America. As well as making it hard for displaced persons to enter the US. The US authorities gave Zionists access to the displaced persons camps in the US zone of control in Europe to gather recruits to go to Palestine. The British imperialists tried to resist the founding of the state of Israel and interned the Jewish refugees that the US had incited to go to Israel on the island of Cypress.
The Zionists have always been a proxy force for American imperialism in the Middle East.
The last gasp of the British Empire in the Middle East, was the Suez Crisis. After that the US became the dominant Western imperialist power in the region. Israel became US imperialism's unsinkable aircraft carrier threatening any Arab country that dared step out of line.
While the victorious super powers were squabbling over the spoils of war, what about the defeated imperialist powers Germany, Italy, Japan? They became junior partners to the new global hegemon.
When you can't do dirty work yourself you get someone else to do it.
Both Germany and Japan have been called on to put pressure on the World Court to to make sure their judges on the ICJ vote the way the US wants.
https://www.icj-cij.org/home#:~:text=LATEST%20NEWS&text=On%2011%20January%202024%2C%20HE,Peace%20Palace%20in%20The%20Hague.
Shame on those countries that have chosen to do it.
Footnote:
If anyone thinks I am picking on Germany and Germans, I am not. Every capitalist country wants to expand its influence, every capitalist country aspires to be an imperialist, or junior imperialist, even lil'ol New Zealand.
Growth expansion imperialism, colonialism is written into the DNA of capitalism, every imperialist country commits massacres and genocides to maintain their rule.
New Zealand is no exception.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/the-spoiling-of-samoa/HEDXHCD4LKX7MEWD7AZ5H6TGMQ/
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/black-saturday-nz-police-open-fire-on-mau-protestors-in-apia-nine-samoans-killed
https://natlib.govt.nz/records/23143678
Historic guilt of empire is irrelevant to this, as is the status of Jews as a past victim of empire themselves (Christian, Moslem and German). This is now. Post 1945 and the UN of member states and related international law.
Whether Palestinians (Arabic language and cultural order came with Islam after 600CE – before then most locals were Christians) are indigenous or Jews is irrelevant (they each have similar DNA northern Semite) and both are Semitic cultures.
Everyone knows the case of genocide will not succeed and is merely an attempt to get a interim order for a cease-fire.
This is not even a case of ethnic cleansing (the case of this in WB is far stronger).
There is a case for war crimes, and to prevent further loss of civilian life, this is a device to realise a cease-fire.
And given Russia ignored an interim order of this court (and others before them), as per Ukraine, if Israel does so will depend on other factors (guess why USA is not involved).
How very arrogant of you. It is plain that "everyone" does not agree. Have you even bothered to look at the heros welcome when the ICJ team arrived back in SA? There is historically huge support between SA and Palestinians.
https://www.aljazeera.com/program/newsfeed/2024/1/15/south-african-genocide-case-legal-team-returns-to-heroes-welcome-2
Just another example of the inability of people like yourself to empathise outside the comfort zone of your own inflation adjusted values of life
Is that some sort of code, a sly anti-semitic trope?
I've no idea what you're talking about. Its a reference to your support of Maersk profits against Palestinian lives. I would add that obviously, the relationship is an inverse one.
They pass on costs to those who use their ships to transport goods to market, and they to consumers.
As for the impact of that inflation, a lot would be even higher cost for fertilizer and food out of south east Europe to Asia and maybe electronics and EV's between Asia and Europe.
Look SPC, I can be a bit dim but a light just illuminated in my head that said for you to be upset at a comment directed at yourself with the phrase "people like you" , and call me antisemitic, you may be an Israeli. If this is the case, I unreservedly apologise and regardless, will only address your comments in future.
[Stop playing the man. This is your warning – Incognito]
Meh.
Once upon a time, if you criticised American policy you were called anti-American, a fellow traveller with the commie left or this century terrorists (and probably still). Some of us were visited by local police as suspects in the "threat" to the visiting golfer Tiger Woods most likely because some CIA agent thought manipulating them to act that way was both funny and a way to get our public opinion and government onto their Iraq regime change play.
Once upon a time, if you supported a two state solution that made one a Zionist or an anti-Zionist depending on who responded (and probably still). And that could mean all sorts of stuff to them and all sorts of language gets used, because all those Zionists or anti-Zionists are * and or **.
I was just wondering what "your own inflation adjusted values of life" was about, as it did not seem to make any sense. If I think something is anti-semitic I will say so.
Mod note
‘
SPC @1.1
"Everyone knows the case of genocide will not succeed and is merely an attempt to get a interim order for a cease-fire."
Nobody knows. But if I were to guess, I would guess that it would be the other way round. The interim order for a ceasefire in Gaza will fail. The charge of genocide will be proved.
My guess is based on 'Realpolitik', especially as it is practiced in international affaires.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Realpolitik#:~:text=Realpolitik%20(German%3A%20%5B%CA%81e%CB%88a%CB%90lpoli%CB%8Cti%CB%90k%5D,%2C%20moral%2C%20or%20ethical%20premises.
My guess based on realpolitik, is South Africa's attempt to get an interim order for a cease-fire in Gaza will fail. The political pressure from the US and its allied states on the judges of the ICJ will is too great.
Many years from now, the allegation of genocide will eventually be proven. The 84 page mountain of evidence of genocidal acts and statements of intent to commit genocide contained in the Brief by South Africa is damning, I am certain that even more damning evidence will be revealed with the passing of time.
Even the current available evidence is overwhelming, but by the time a final judgment is made, it will all be academic, and too late to make a difference.
Realpolitik:
By the end of Friday in the Hague we will know if Realpolitik or Justice is the winner
Germany was always closely aligned to the US (since the 1600's).
They seem to also have a collective paranoia to be seen anti semitic since the WWII.
The position taken by the representative at the UN does not necessary reflect the opinion of the general population.
The ordinary folk is often left at the sidelines of political agendas, in Germany and many other states.
I do like your article. We also have to be careful not to be the "handmaiden" of any party at play.
https://www.iamexpat.de/expat-info/german-expat-news/history-between-usa-and-germany
I've always enjoyed reading Verity Johnson for some lighter reading. Her latest opinion piece is excellent and weightier than many previous ones.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/350156501/why-we-need-fight-treaty-waitangi
MMP is a failure.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/507471/official-documents-suggest-a-nz-first-minister-wants-to-freeze-excise-tax-on-cigarettes-but-she-denies-it
Only MMP would allow anywhere power a party of lying nincompoops with such a frankly partisan, grubby agenda to try and create a voting base out of bad policy.
Seems evil, this vein of duplicity that runs through this Government.
wouldn't that still have to go through cabinet?
It's interesting to consider though whether NZ would be struggling to find competent Ministers and MPs at this point in time if it was still under FPP.
Under FPP – as the result of the 2023 election you would have an overwhelming National Party government (having won a substantial majority of the electorates) – possibly in coalition with the 2 ACT MPs – but with no NZF representation. You'd have a few GP electorate MPs and the 5 TPM ones – in opposition, along with a pretty tiny Labour Party.
While there would be no NZF representation – you would have a centre-right government which would regard itself as having an overwhelming mandate (since they would hold well over 2/3 of the seats).
Characterizing MMP as a failure because it hasn't (on this occasion) given you the government you wanted – is pretty short-sighted.
You'd also have a national Government with an awful lot of new, inexperienced, and going on recent selection successes, grossly incompetent MPs.
Similar, and probably much worse, to the current mess
I don't feel that the record of the last year inclines me to believe in the competence of the Labour Ministers in the previous government.
Any new government, coming in after a spell in opposition, is going to consist of predominantly inexperienced MPs.
But as a counter point, under FPP governments don't have to pander to a lunatic fringe in order to gain/retain power.
One voter's leader of a lunatic fringe is another's acting PM – hang in there Luxon.
The point needs to be made that Luxon didn't have to pander to any lunatic fringe!
Where were Winnie and David going to go if he'd (Luxon) had any real negotiating skills and told them to shove their wanky and racist policies?
At worse, he might have triggered another election, but he could have blamed Seymour and Peters and may well have got some sympathy!
Instead, he caved in and gave them (Winnie and David) everything they wanted!
Hipkins can be justly criticised for the poor Labour showing, but at least he, on a matter of principle, ruled out working with NZFirst!
Did you follow the UK in recent years?
The Conservative Party has a big majority under FPP – soon to be history, the majority, not FPP – and yet small radical splitter groups (some can be considered "lunatic") appear to drive policies:
I can't see much of a difference to MMP coalition(s).
See also Guardian – Anatomy of a party in turmoil: the Conservative factions in the spotlight
"Especially because the absolute worst part of the past three months has been how common it’s become to casually slag off Māori. There’s a noticeable swell in hate, division, racism, crazy talk and an all round sulphuric nastiness"
It is disgusting how manipulative the players in parliament have become. We have a elected government and the crowd that screams the loudest or plays games like in high school seems to propose to do away with democracy. All the hallmarks are there of a toppling of the legal government. No willingness to uphold the other side of the constitution. Show your colors and don't hide behind insults. The ones slagging off anybody are hailed as doing the right thing, go figure. Give those who are caught in the middle a chance to rearrange their affairs and move to a safer country.
Was your stand-alone comment intended as a reply to https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-25-01-2024/#comment-1986558 @ 2?
Well it is where the quote comes from.
I guess so, which is why there’s a handy Reply button for convenient nesting/threading of comment threads. If there are technical issues then it would be good to let Lprent know about it.
My apologies for the confusion. I had to attend to an issue and pressed the button without checking.
It's staining the world of science and education as well;
"Do I need to emphasize once again that there are no “indigenous ways of knowing” beyond the ways that modern science “knows” things. To be frank, indigenous “ways of knowing” are inferior to modern science, which has a whole armamentarium for determining what counts as “knowledge” (experimentation, controls, replication, hypothesis-testing, pervasive doubt, and so on). In contrast, indigenous ways of knowing invariably come down to simple observation of natural phenomena or assertions (say, about the efficacy of plants as medicines) that aren’t tested using blind studies. And without verification and replication and testing, you don’t have knowledge; you have claims."
https://pointofordernz.wordpress.com/2024/01/24/illegal-in-the-us-maybe-but-it-flourishes-in-nz-and-it-strikes-a-blow-against-western-science-so-canada-has-imported-it/
Sort of, but do not discount the ability of big pharma to block natural medicine or appropriate it and patent.
The medical science version of Monsanto.
The motivated players in the science.v. matauranga Māori argument are the money-makers?
Goodness!
Big Pharma do all the testing before products go to market. Scientific method, really?
Should GE companies have the same right?
my eyes glazed over as soon as I saw the words 'Jerry Coyne'. A rationalist who exhibits irrational behaviour each time he opens his keyboard on anything to do with indigenous knowledge.
Can such a person ever take the leap and experience the very thing they argue so bluntly against?
Does gradual exposure to indigenous thinking wear away the crystalline armour of science-thinking?
I've seen "hanging out with manawhenua" have this effect on a group of people for whom "te mana o te wai" was dismissed out of hand/confusion.
what kind of changes did you see?
The opening of hearts through realising that ideas are genuinely embedded in people and culture and are as valid as their own embedded ideas.
There’s no such thing as “crystalline armour of science-thinking”, as it would imply that it is pure, hard & sharp, and symmetrical, and some kind of protection or defence [against what?].
Science that isn’t shared with people and that has no impact on people and society is less than a tree in a Zen forest. This sharing and influencing, not just in terms of ‘pure’ thinking but also in knowledge transfer and technological advancement is a bi-directional & mutual and dynamic process.
"…some kind of protection or defence [against what?]."
Well, the Dark Arts, obviously.
That’s futile because the Dark Arts are inside the science fortress as much as they’re on the outside. Rationalism in isolation is an exercise in futility. Rationalism as a ‘great purifier’ of science and mankind is a mug’s game.
Agreed.
Any halfwit who has gardened for a length of time knows how to test whether something works or not. The man needs to get out more.
Do halfwits garden?
They pull & spray perceived weeds and use a robotic lawnmower to maintain the monoculture grass at a fixed strictly standardised low height.
Greenkeepers?
Hole in one
There is a hole (o) in one.
It's well known.
even monoculturists know how to replicate something to make it work.
Ahhh, Wanaka.
Aue, Wanaka!
Two peoples in one land, should we send David Seymour to re-write the principles of he state of Israel, the PA and the Oslo Accord peace process?
Let our first nation to see each days dawn enlighten them, or not make it any worse here or there?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world-news/350154692/israel-will-sink-gaza-mud-years-netanyahu-power-warns-former-prime-minister
"The government has confirmed a document about the government's proposed Treaty Principles bill is a leaked draft memo from the Ministry of Justice"
The screenshot showed commentary from the report's author saying they expected the Bill would be "highly contentious".
..a full copy of the leaked report, which it said warned the proposal's key points were "at odds with what the Treaty of Waitangi actually says".
Now by what I see is that, whoever was the "author" – no one seem to name the person – is not really authorized.
However, what concerns me most is that, the public service is to stay neutral as they are employed to do the job no matter who is in government and hence have to stir away from any bias. This is difficult – true, but a pre requisite to make sure that corruption does not have an entry door.
How is making the media and thus the public being aware of something any form of corruption – more likely to be otherwise.
Many suspect that the leak was to aid the major party in the new government, give it more reason to dampen down expectation of its supporting a second reading (and embolden NZF to say they would not do so).
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/507090/government-confirms-leaked-document-was-a-ministry-treaty-principles-bill-memo
I really have no interest as to the motivation of the person but rather the institution of government and its employees obligation to adhere to protocol and impartiality. The country needs to be able to rely on its government for stability, economically and defence. Undermining it is actually treason.
"Public sector chief executives and board chairs are responsible for the integrity and conduct of their agencies and maintaining the agency’s political neutrality. This includes during the election period"
https://www.publicservice.govt.nz/guidance/general-election-guidance-2023/responsibilities-of-public-sector-agencies/
The person who leaked a draft memo should be sacked as he/she etc. shows ulterior motives and fanning of discontent without facts.
Maybe someone in government thought the coalition agreement, as per the Treaty principles debate and first reading, posed some risk to stability?
Because what Seymour was saying about the Treaty was fact free and would lead to division
And gave that advice. It is part of their public service role to do that.
The only issue is leaking something and that appears not of any agenda against the government (given 2 of the 3 partners oppose it).
This would be speculation as the document was a draft held at the ministry of justice (no less!) and no reading has taken place as far as reported to date. On those grounds the person had an agenda and hence should be dismissed – ungracefully.
Equally, it is a duty of any party/govt employee to make sure that such leaked document is not a spurious placed for publication intended to fan emotions in the current environment.
It is in essence inciting perceptions that can lead to violence. One should not forget that, not all people approach this issue with an academic mind and zest of evidence based discussion. In that sense it is a treasonous act to incite willingly and knowingly discontent.
The sad part is that, if the Maori Party has taken this aboard and now "wants to held a government to account" and call a rightfully elected government "white supremacist". This is adding fuel to this without actually checking facts. On that basis their integrity and adherence to parliamentary protocol is questionable.
What facts are you referring to?
What is the basis of your assertion that the TPM "integrity and adherence to parliamentary protocol is questionable"?
No, it is not an act of treason to incite discontent (not under any democratic government).
That would lead to censorship of media and as someone once said he would rather have no elections, than no independent media.
It is the objective of the Americans to block whistleblowing, and of all governments into covering up stuff to keep the public ignorant, passive and compliant.
Please include a link when you quote text or even single words.
Palestinian man shot and killed by IDF sniper after talking to the media.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/palestine-gaza-itv-report-israel-shot-dead-live-tv-b2483877.html
With an Israeli imposed telecommunications blackout over most of Gaza, footage like this is rare. But it would seem to confirm many Palestinian accounts that unarmed civilians in Gaza are being killed in what the IDF call "field executions".
Latest in Israel's long list of attrocities: IDF Field Executions – YouTube
South Africa has alleged in the World Court that Israel is committing atrocities and war crimes in Gaza amounting to genocide. As more and more evidence like the above comes out, linked to the genocidal statements by Israeli lawmakers and military leaders, it seems almost inevitable that this Friday, the ICJ will announce their order on Israel to stop their assault on Gaza.
The shooting of unarmed civilians is obviously a war crime.
It is sufficient cause for the US POTUS to allow a UNSC Resolution condemning it and calling for an end to military action if it does not stop.
It reminds one of the shootings of those by the Gaza fence back in 2018.
Great to see Jon Stewart returning to The Daily Show in time for this US election season. The acid has been needed.
Tis the season for Monday morning quarter-backs.
The great "Kumera of the North" Shane Jones says "we should not be afraid of discussing the Treaty Principles". in his speech at Ratana.
It is not discussion we are afraid of, it is "Bad Actors" who come with an agenda to undermine belittle and divide, to get control of Maori treasures, water medicines and minerals.
I understand medicines, minerals but water is not a possession but a right of any and all people to have available. You can survive 3 days without food, but you die after 3 days without water. Fact.
I see that there is no objection to large Corps pumping millions of gallons of drinking water to sell overseas or filling those floating cities called Cruise ships with tones of drinking water. For money of cause! 🙄
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/ratepayers-charged-500-times-more-for-water-than-bottling-companies/FWYMZBUZIVX27XLWWLDPTS4CNE/
"Water bottling companies are paying an average 500 times less than ratepayers for each litre of water they're allowed to use"
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/27/new-zealand-anger-as-pristine-lakes-tapped-for-bottled-water-market
The majority of New Zealand’s bottled water is drawn from Blue Spring in Putaruru , where Coca-Cola Amatil has a bottling factory.
The spring is world-renowned for its color and clarity, and is classified as a natural Taonga, or treasure.
Meanwhile, all of NZlands piping system has fallen in disrepair because of those "look at me, I want to be in the History books" projects and a failure of planning and charging proportionally. This despite the need to maintain the supply system being well known for decades.
So, water… if there is any sincerity by all parties concerned than the first issue is repairing pipes so that every person residing here has drinkable water. Followed by securing water sources into the future and not prioritising Large Corporations or interests that only have one benefactor.
Is not spring water a taonga or treasure claim of the iwi? There should a royalty. And their consent for any export.
Rivers are a taonga and treasure in relation to Maori customary activity dependent on water flow (fishing/eels etc). There is an issue here about water taken from the river that has an impact on this.
Rivers as a catchment that allows collection and storage (hydro, irrigation or water use dams) is a land asset of an iwi. It's not just rain that flows to the sea that has value to those in chieftainship of their land.
In the ECAN area water has been gathered for irrigation for use (dairying) in ways that pollute (nitrate) the underground aquifer.
I understand your argument but still do not agree to any "ownership" of drinking water. If this is the case the person/party holding ownership essentially own me or any person whose life depends on it. No way would I ever agree to that!
How about a foreign corporate owning water supply assets and charging you for it (as councils do now)?
I wonder if the Herald will do a look at the access of farmers to water, as per cost to ratepayers, industrial/business and farm users (and no cost to bottlers)?
This is what I mentioned at 9.1
Having access to drinking water is a human right.
https://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/human_right_to_water.shtml#:~:text=The%20human%20right%20to%20water%20and%20sanitation&text=On%2028%20July%202010%2C%20through,realisation%20of%20all%20human%20rights.
The human right to water and sanitation. On 28 July 2010, through Resolution 64/292, the United Nations General Assembly explicitly recognized the human right to water and sanitation and acknowledged that clean drinking water and sanitation are essential to the realisation of all human rights.
The NZ Government has to apply the rules and laws. There is a difference between personal and commercial use. Farmers do need water to meet the second need to survival – food. Supermarkets on the other hand…..
Judith Collins.
Chrome test
You'll never leak alone.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/a-leaked-letter-to-health-minister-shane-reti-that-i-can-neither-confirm-nor-deny-rob-campbell/RNK3MFPLAZDIXFQ6GCZXSU2VXA/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gpoJNv5dlQ
Well, the health service across the country is very much in need of more staff and resources.
Some first hand experience:
Just recently, when my husband was admitted via ambulance to the ER with suspicion of a heart attack I was somewhat taken aback by the way the process works. Whilst the nurse did an ECG straight away, comparative troponin tests are needed to ascertain any wider issues. From the time we made the first call to the waiting of the vital lab result 8.5 hours passed – and it could have been my husband not just the hours. On asking how far that is away: Receptions response was to make a note for the nurse. We decided to go home in the early hours of the morning without having seen the lab report. I think this is a dangerous situation that we have no means to change in any shape or form.
Another patient was in pain and a person also being in the waiting room for hours explained that this chap has been waiting for 10 hours now – yes, in pain.
There were some 20 people waiting, most for almost the same time as we are.
By what I saw, there were 2 nurses and 1 doctor available. I saw 3 ambulances arriving in that time we were there.
All those affected were pakeha and this, in my experience, shows that there is an issue across the board. Nothing to do with race.
it's in a dire state for sure. In some rural areas you can't even get A/E services.
Re ethnicity, the racism that might happen (I said might) would be if the system treated a Māori man differently from your husband. Maybe had to wait longer, maybe there were communication issues/barriers, maybe the staff had conscious or unconscious racism.
Another example that is also well known is when people turn up in A/E wanting pain relief and are suspected of being addicts. Or they are registered in the system as an addict and turn up in pain. A whole bunch of biases against them can kick in eg staff assume they're lying about the pain to get access to drugs.
I don't really understand why these are difficult things to talk about. I've been learning about cultural bias in healthcare since the 90s. I think things have improved, but there are still issues.
It's not going to take away anything from non-Māori to address these issues. And if the system does start taking away from non-Māori, then the solution isn't to take away from Māori again, it's to sort it out so it is done fairly and well.
To your last Sentence:
My observation was not that anything is necessary based on race, it could be incidental. More to the point was the lack of staff. Those professionals who were there also had to look after those arriving by ambulance. This increased the waiting time exponentially. The chap in pain looked like to have something on his leg (broken?) but I am not a doctor.
It was a frightening experience for me as I wasn't sure how bad the situation is without those tests. I lost two of my closest relatives due to a heart attack and it was not really foreseeable.
thanks for clarifying. I agree it is frightening. Might be worth talking to your GP about it to see if there is anything else that could be done in that situation.
This guy is horrible!
"A separate health system ‘by Maori for Maori’ that’s a duplication and indulgence. "
https://pointofordernz.wordpress.com/2024/01/25/lindsay-mitchell-the-danger-of-the-treaty-debate-wearing-us-down/
Lindsay Mitchell has been researching and commenting on welfare since 2001.
She is also on
https://www.bassettbrashandhide.com
One wonders who influenced her change of focus to this issue.
John Keys' war on meth went well:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/crime/child-abuse-sentencing-kurtis-innes-blames-wheelchair-fall-for-babys-more-than-60-injuries/7Z6B4QNVGRGQJNY6377YHHFLMY/
“Yo Christopher” and “Where’s your hair at?!”
Wouldn't get away with that here!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/350157533/three-headed-taniwha-government-enemy-maori-ratana-criticism-should-give-pm
Melanie Nelson is da bomb! 🙂
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2tp5FBhqdp77r6yJWmqIwZ
One thing for all of the socially conscious left to watch for in David Seymours' insidious plan is the pathway to the referendum question. He'll try to lock in the referendum before the question we are to be asked is proposed. Make no mistake, the plan to referendum and the question is already being formulated.
A bit like Jong Khee's flag debacle except more organised, more funded, and certainly more evil.
So, not such a great idea.
For so long, you identified as Libertarian. What changed?
I completely have not used the word Libertarian in describing myself since I got an email during lockdown where a person from a Libertarian organization wrote to me and said, “We’re doing an anti-mask demonstration in Vegas, and obviously we’d like you to head it.” I looked at that email and I went, “The fact they sent me this email is something I need to be very ashamed of, and I need to change.”
[…]
Many times when I identified as Libertarian, people said to me, “It’s just rich white guys that don’t want to be told what to do,” and I had a zillion answers to that — and now that seems 100 percent accurate.
https://www.cracked.com/article_40871_penn-jillette-wants-to-talk-it-all-out.html
Reminds me of Verity Johnson's mea culpa today.
Ponder this:
"Insanity wasn’t in our genes — we humans had gone off the rails because our culture had lost its source of external significance. We were so completely colonized by the belief that all meaning came down to economics and private consumption that it no longer even felt like a belief. We’d forgotten the fact that, in Gaylor Nelson’s great phrase, “the economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment, and not the other way around.”"
https://www.themarginalian.org/2022/06/26/richard-powers-bewilderment/
Direct action. Don't you love to see it?
Poor old James Cook lying on the grass like he was on holiday in Hawaii that time…
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-25/melbourne-captain-cook-queen-victoria-statues-vandalised/103386996
Few statues here which could become headless.